Of Seafoam and Ashes
by autumneuphoria
Summary: When the Water Tribe Chief's son gets assigned to be pen pals with the prince of the Fire Nation, things start to get interesting for the South Pole. A sudden turn of events causes the Chief's daughter to take her brother's place as the prince's pen pal instead, and things start to get even more interesting, especially when the Avatar gets personally involved.
1. Prologue

_In a world where there is no war and the present Avatar is a hundred and sixteen year old airbender, peace is sovereign and all four nations live in affable harmony. To encourage the youth to engage themselves in other cultures aside from their own, each child from ages twelve through eighteen are required to interact with another child from a different nation. When the Water Tribe Chief's son gets assigned to be pen pals with the prince of the Fire Nation, things start to get interesting for the South Pole. A sudden turn of events causes the Chief's daughter to take her brother's place as the prince's pen pal instead, and things start to get even more interesting, especially when the Avatar gets personally involved._

* * *

Two boxes sat on the table between the two men: a snow-white box that was engraved with the Water Tribe symbol and the other the color of charcoal, the Fire Nation symbol stitched on the smooth velvet. Neither of the men moved, but their eyes flickered between the boxes and the other man's gaze from time to time, almost as if daring the other to make the first move. Silence was heavily draped around them, hugging them from all sides until their other companion, the third man in the room, cleared his throat—or at least tried to. Being a hundred and sixteen and trying to clear your old throat isn't so genial after all, especially when you've been known as a chatter box your whole life.

"Gentlemen." The Avatar nodded towards the boxes, an amused smile playing on his thin lips. "Would you like me to open the boxes for you? Or would you want us to sit here all day—and possibly for the rest of our lives—bottoms stiff and backs cracking with age?" a gray brow raised, he continued thoughtfully, "Because that wouldn't be so bad a way to live the rest our lives, don't you think?"

A shuffling from the man on his northeast, a clearing of the throat from the northwest.

"Not quite, Avatar, sir. Just…getting used to the idea." The Water Tribe Chief nodded, blue eyes resting upon the black box directly in front of him.

"Please, Hakoda, it's Aang. There's no need for such formalities in such a friendly environment, wouldn't you say?" wise, gray eyes peer at the man clad in blue, who forced himself to nod.

"And you, Ozai," the man in question turned to look at Aang. "Don't you think it's about time you took the first initiative?"

The Prince of the Fire Nation involuntarily winced, the white box staring at him tauntingly. "I suppose." Seeing that the Avatar was not satisfied with his answer, he hastily amended, "Yes. It is about time."

Aang smiled happily as he brought his hands together, obviously content with the revised answer. "It's settled then! It's time to open these boxes once and for all. If you please," he gestured to the boxes and both men reluctantly reached for them.

"Why are we doing this again?" Ozai questioned uncomfortably, the box cool in his hands.

"Always the purposeful one, aren't we, Ozai?" Aang chuckled as Ozai ducked his head sheepishly. "Why don't you answer an old friend, Hakoda?"

Both men visibly stiffened at the request, but Hakoda nevertheless complied. "It would probably tell us, _Ozai_—" the name slipped out of his lips quite like it was a curse, and the owner scowled. "—where our children disappeared off to."

"And how exactly will it tell us that, _Hakoda_?" the Fire Prince returned just as stiffly.

As Hakoda thought of a reply, a cold wind passed through the Air Temple, befitting the tension in the air.

"I have no idea, to be quite frank." Aang watched in subtle amusement as Ozai turned into a shade of red similar to his robes.

"Then why—"

"Gentlemen, please! Let's just open the boxes in hopes of getting us some answers shall we?" Aang lifted a finger and instantly, the covers of the boxes in Hakoda and Ozai's laps flew off. "You would think that the Avatar's favorite students would get along quite well!" he exclaimed, shaking his head in mock disappointment.

The Avatar's companions grunted and finally, _finally _decided to peer inside the boxes. And what they found were envelopes—letters sent from one nation to another, a messenger hawk dutifully doing the delivery.

"What…?"

As another wind blew past, the Avatar smiled, eyes trained on the picture on the mantelpiece across him: two boys just at the brink of puberty, and a younger version of himself smiling back at him.

_It's their own fault really,_ he thought to himself as both men browsed through numerous envelopes written by the other's son/daughter, _why this happened in the first place. After all, love that's suppressed is love that begs to fight back._

* * *

03/24/13


	2. Chapter One

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of the characters. **(I really keep forgetting this part. :/ *pulls hair* Why couldn't I own Avatar? Zutara would've happened. D:)

**Also:** thanks to those who reviewed the first part of this story, you guys are the tea to my Iroh. :") I just hope I meet your expectations and that I'll be able to actually pull through with this. Whenever I attempt to write multi-chaptered stories, I usually just get one chapter done and the rest is a very very very long writer's block. Then I give up on the story. :/ But I'll try with this for you guys. ;)

**And to Hai 3: **hi there! :) I was wondering when someone would make the connection and you did! *gives a bunch of hugs* The setting/era of the story was indeed inspired by **Like A Dove**'s In the Same Candlelight (which is amazing! and people who haven't read it yet should read it now). I really liked the idea of a no war themed Zutara story (though the series was still awesome even with the war going on. Of course this isn't to say that I like war; I don't. It just added more plot twists.) and having Aang initially accept his duty as the Avatar. Reading In the Same Candlelight left me with the impression that there were a million different ways for Katara and Zuko to have met if there was no war and exploring different ways to have them meet and possibly fall for each other was a really cool challenge. So voila, the whole pen pal plot was born! :P There will also be a few modifications in the story, just a head's up, like Ozai and Azula not being bonkers and stuff. So expect some character changes in relations and attitudes (you'll eventually get what I mean).

* * *

"Grandpa?" the soft voice startles the Avatar out of his skin, and his shoulders hunch up from the surprise.

"Great Avatars before me!" he exclaims, large, gray eyes shooting open. Aang scans the courtyard like an arctic fox like a scared lemur before his gaze lands on his granddaughter, who stands before him.

"Oh, my dear Ty Lee! I thought I was being attacked!" he quickly stands up from his meditation pose to face said girl.

The girl laughs softly. Even in his olden years, the Avatar still managed to come off as a young child most days.

"What is it I can do for you, Ty Lee?" he asks, folding his hands into his robes in an attempt to come off as a serious old man.

"I need to discuss some matters with you," the pink-clad acrobat mumbles, her eyes suddenly downcast.

Aang frowns. "Hmm. You seem to be in a gloomy mood today. Do you want to tell me what's wrong?"

Ty Lee sighs as she loops an arm around one of his. "It's related to what I want to talk to you about."

"We have a lot of time in our hands. Why don't you tell me about it as we walk? The weather is beautiful, don't you think?" Aang pats her arm, and she offers a small smile.

"Okay." the teenager takes a deep breath.

* * *

It was a beautiful day in the Eastern Air Temple, the sun shining warmly down on the airbenders' domain, a cool breeze surrounding the place. Airbenders were loitering everywhere, either practicing forms or fooling around with their gliders or the flying bisons and lemurs.

"As you know, my birthday is coming up in a few days," Ty Lee begins as they walk towards the Air Temple Gardens.

"How could I forget? The biggest party for my dearest nineteen year old!" the Avatar cheers, eyes crinkling with excitement. "Everyone from every nation will come and see you turn a year wiser."

"Hopefully not _everyone_. We wouldn't have enough space in the Air Temple to manage all those people!" she manages a small chuckle.

Aang gasps. "That's right! I'm going to have to cut down your guest list! But oh, the invitations! What a waste!"

Ty Lee laughs. "You didn't have to invite so much people in the first place, Grandpa."

"But you're turning nineteen!" the master airbender pouts childishly.

"And next year I'm turning twenty." his granddaughter counters.

"Another party I get to throw," Aang winks, making the sad girl smile.

"Anyway, as you'd already said, Grandpa, I'm turning nineteen. And well, the Pen Pal Program requires children aged twelve to eighteen to enlist."

The Avatar nods. He knows the program by heart since he did, after all, come up with the idea.

The Pen Pal Program, otherwise known as the PPP, was established soon after Aang had discovered the joys of writing letters to Bumi at the tender age of twelve. Monk Gyatso had his hand in developing the project, especially since the Avatar was still young and learning his duties at the time it was introduced to the world.

"And since I'm turning _nineteen,_" Ty Lee continues, "I'm technically ineligible to join the program anymore..." she trails off, hoping that her grandfather would catch on.

Silence fills the air as the Avatar takes in the information.

"Grandpa?" the acrobat nudges the old man, brows furrowed.

Aang sighs. "I believe you're right."

The teenager heaves out one as well. "I'm okay about being removed from the program, it's just my pen pal I'm worried about."

"The Water Tribe girl? What's her name? Katcha? Katae? Could you refresh my memory, dear Ty Lee?"

"Katara," Ty Lee giggles at her grandfather's faux short-term memory.

"Ah, yes, Hakoda's daughter." Aang smiles at the thought of the Water Tribe chief, who happened to be a past favorite student of his.

"That's the one. Well, it's just that, I've grown quite fond of her and I don't want to abandon her so suddenly in the middle of the year." Ty Lee explains.

"You're not _abandoning_ her. You can still keep in contact with Katara if you wish. The program aims to form ties between children of different nations in hopes that after the program ends for each child, the ties they've made would last a lifetime." the Avatar retorts.

"I know...but the program doesn't give her a pen pal from another nation until next year and I don't want to leave her hanging with no new partner until then," Ty Lee says, her arms flailing about.

Aang stays silent for a minute or two, a thoughtful look plastered on his face.

"Well, Grandpa?" Ty Lee prods, slightly impatient.

The acrobat's grandfather smiles, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Don't worry about Katara, my dear granddaughter. I've got just the pen pal for her."


End file.
